Weekly Update for October 30: Women Centric, Directed and Written Films Playing Near You

After her Oscar-nominated performance in “Gravity,” Sandra Bullock returns to comedy in “Our Brand is Crisis,” in which she plays a political strategist working for the wrong guy in a Bolivian presidential election. In my review for Crave, I wrote that the film,”about the maneuvering of a Bolivian presidential election toward the one-percenters’ candidate, [is a] boisterous but hollow election drama offer[ing] an ultra-cynical take on political campaigns as a series of mass manipulations. ‘If voting changed anything, they’d make it illegal,’ declares [Bullock’s] Jane.” (Inkoo Kang)

The Wonders/Le Meraviglie – Written and Directed by Alice Rohrwacher

“The Wonders” centers on a family of beekeepers living in stark isolation in central Italy. The dynamic of their overcrowded household is disrupted by the simultaneous arrival of a silently troubled teenaged boy taken in as a farmhand and a production crew recruiting local farmers to participate in a cheesy televised celebration of ancient Etruscan culture, presented by the mysterious Milly Catena (Monica Bellucci). Both intrusions are of particular interest to the eldest daughter, Gelsomina (Maria Alexandra Lungu), who is struggling to find her footing in the world. (Press materials)

Join high school-aged girls from around the world as they try to better their community through technology and collaboration in this thrilling, heartfelt documentary.By 2017, the app market will be valued at $77 Billion. Over 80% of these developers are male. The Technovation Challenge aims to change that by empowering girls worldwide to develop apps for an international competition. From rural Moldova to urban Brazil to suburban Massachusetts, “CodeGirl” follows teams who dream of holding their own in the world’s fastest-growing industry. The winning team gets $10K to complete and release their app, but every girl discovers something valuable along the way. (Press materials)

Bare – Written and Directed by Natalia Leite

A young girl (Dianna Agron) in Nevada becomes romantically involved with a female drifter (Paz de la Huerta), who introduces her to a life of stripping, drugs and metaphysical experiences that teach her what happens when real life catches up with dark fantasy. (Press materials)

Young housewife Helena (Helena Albergaria) is on the verge of fulfilling a dream as she prepares to open her own business: a neighborhood grocery store. She hires a maid, Paula (Naloana Lima), to take care of her house and daughter. But when her husband Otavio (Marat Descartes) is suddenly fired from his job as an insurance executive, Helena is left to support the family alone. (Press materials)

Flowers/Loreak (Opens in New York)

Ane (Nagore Aranburu) lives a quiet unfulfilled life, trapped in a seemingly loveless marriage, until she suddenly starts to receive bouquets of flowers anonymously, once a week. Meanwhile, Tere (Itziar Aizpuru) wants nothing more than a grandchild, but her only son Beñat (Josean Bengoetxea) and his wife Lourdes (Itziar Ituño) have other plans. A sudden, tragic event jolts all of their lives into a new reality, and flowers start to appear anonymously once again, but this time, instead of passion, they represent an emotional memory. (Press materials)

Documentarian Abigail Disney journeys to the belly of conservative America to try and understand how you can be pro-life and pro-gun. She tracks Reverend Rob Schenck, a far-right anti-abortion leader and evangelical minister, as he struggles to spread a message of gun control in a constituency that doesn’t want to hear it. The conversations that he starts are timely — and will hopefully spark more discussions to break through this crazy, ideological logjam that our country is stuck in. (Melissa Silverstein)

Life and death in a cardiac-critical-care unit. We follow two amazing doctors for a month as they make their rounds. Their approach to treating patients shows a path toward solving the healthcare crisis in the U.S. (Press materials)

The Royal Road (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Jenni Olson

A cinematic essay in defense of remembering, “The Royal Road” offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity, the pursuit of unavailable women and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes, and featuring a voiceover cameo by Tony Kushner. (Press materials)